The easiest way to explain Pixwoo is to describe it as a 'Facebook for gamers'. But that's only partly accurate when you realize that Facebook is a social network and a major gaming platform, while Pixwoo isn't aspiring to be anything more than a glorified sounding board for publishers and a hangout for gamers. But for the publishers, this seems to be enough.

Pascal Vielhescaze, the creator of Pixwoo, and CEO of a "digital lifestyle agency" called Spiderdreams, has gotten a lot of noteworthy publishers to sign up as partners since the site's launch in February. Codemasters, Capcom, Namco Bandai Partners and Rising Star have joined in on what could be "a potentially fantastic promotional tool for the industry."

As for the gamers, Vielhescaze has chosen to pitch Pixwoo this way:

Generic social networking platforms are fantastic for keeping in touch with friends and family, but it's not ideal for sharing the minutiae of hobbies and passions. Gamers deserve to feel comfortable boasting they have reached level 85 in Guild Wars, for example. And that's why big isn't necessarily better when it comes to social networking. Knowing you share a common interest with everyone else on there is much more important, as is the ability to speak passionately without prejudice.

So far, what we have here is a lot of self-generated hype that Pixwoo is the place-to-be to get community feel-goodness. In an age of social networks, it's really hard for anyone to be wowed by that. Ultimately, Pixwoo and the game companies it's partnered with, will need to offer something unique to generate real buzz.